US President Donald Trump has reiterated his threats to withdraw from NATO over lack of support for his war with Iran, particularly in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
In a phone interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Trump noted that he will bring up the issue during his expected address to nation later in the day. “I’ll be discussing my disgust with NATO,” he said.
US Withdrawal
Responding to a question about his intent to withdraw from the alliance, Trump said: “Oh, absolutely without question. Wouldn’t you do that if you were me?”
He added that “they haven’t been friends when we needed them. We’ve never asked them for much … it’s a one-way street.”
The US President also described NATO as a “paper tiger,” expressing doubts about the bloc’s credibility during an earlier interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph.
Frustration with NATO
Trump’s remarks echo similar statements by his administration’s senior officials. Earlier on Wednesday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to reaffirm the US commitment to NATO’s collective defense.
Similarly, US State Secretary Marco Rubio said that Washington would reassess its relationship with NATO after the war, voicing deep frustration with European allies who declined to support the US in its military campaign.
“Ultimately, that’s a decision for the president to make, and he’ll have to make it. But I do think, unfortunately, we are going to have to reexamine whether or not this alliance that has served this country well for a while is still serving that purpose,” Rubio said.
Allies Reaction
Trump’s remarks have drawn reactions from major NATO allies, most notably from France and the UK.
French junior army minister Alice Rufo emphasized that NATO serves defensive purposes, explaining that Paris prefers a plan to restore transit and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz by means “not of an offensive nature.”
“Let me remind you what NATO is. It is a military alliance concerned with the security of territories in the Euro-Atlantic area. It is not intended to carry out an operation in the Strait of Hormuz, which is not in accordance with international law,” she said during the War & Peace conference in Paris.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he would prioritize his country’s interests. “This is not our war. We will not be drawn into the conflict. That is not in our national interest,” he said.
Starmer added that the destabilizing effect of the Iran war meant that London should strengthen economic and defense ties with European nations.
